


The Doki Apocalypse

by TheSilverMoonTavern



Series: TheSilverMoonTavern's Menu Selections [3]
Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: AU, Blood, Conflict, Death, F/M, Fighting, Heartbreaking, Minor Character Death, Strategy, War, apocalypse au, difficult, request, taking over
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-12-25 06:52:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18256028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilverMoonTavern/pseuds/TheSilverMoonTavern
Summary: 'Too many mistakes. Too many casualties. What have I done?' These were the thoughts of MC after he looked over the barren landscape, his small army resting in the barracks. He could have stopped this, he could have done something before everything spiraled out of control, but he didn't. So this is his responsibility. He needs to stop this, he needs to save them from themselves and each other.





	The Doki Apocalypse

Red. It's all one can see for miles. The sky, red from corruption and the game falling apart to form this apocalypse. The land, red from fighting, blood, and casualties. Water sources, black from the colors around it, along with blood bleeding into the water and a beyond broken script born anew. After the end of the 'game', MC lost his .chr file. This was the beginning of what he called 'The Corruption'. Soon, all the girls became sentient, this was phase two of The Corruption. Phase three was the revolt, all the girls turned on MC. Thinking back to that day, he wonders how he was even able to leave the school safely. Phase four, the landscape started to fall apart. Buildings crumbled and the sky turned red, now formally known as 'Blood Sun'. Phase five, the final phase, the war. Not only were the Dokis after MC but they were after each other too. The reason really wasn't known, maybe it was because of all what happened in the game, no one knows the truth except the girls. Even then, they may not even have a real reason. 

When The Player finally got into the game and realized what happened, they were quick to act. They quickly programmed MC a stronghold and a small army of chibi MC's, similar to what the girls had. Besides watching over him, there wasn't much else The Player could do. None the less, MC was thankful for the gifts, he at least stood a chance now. That doesn't mean the odds were in his favor, though. This was still a game, just not the one you were used to seeing. If he wanted to win, he had to capture all the girl's strongholds while defending his own. To even get to a single stronghold, he had to take over two sectors, essentially safe camps for a short amount of time to rest and restock. According to the map in his war room, the nearest stronghold was Sayori's. Time to come up with a strategy. MC called for his first wave of men. (MC only has three waves of the army The Player gave him. Wave one is for conquering, wave two for defense, wave three for escorting. Each wave contains 250 units.) 

"Alright, men!" MC declared, his voice echoing through the room. The miniature, anime versions of himself staring up at him with utmost focus. "The longer we sit here idling, the longer this war wages! We must go out there and save the others before they hurt themselves or us! Gather your things! Gather your weapons! Gather your resources! We leave now!" 

**Minor Time Skip**

The rocks and dirt crunched loudly under there feet. MC feared they would be heard or ambushed. Though nothing was left alive except himself, the girls, and their armies, and Sayori probably wasn't smart enough to set a few chibis on standby for an ambush. That didn't stop them from being cautious, although, leading 250 mini MCs stealthily wasn't the easiest task in the world. Up ahead, a white tower could be seen as it pierced the crimson sky. A sector; safety. MC felt relief run through his veins. They've marched for a few hours now, even though they hadn't run into trouble, marching constantly while staying vigilant could really take a lot out of you. Once the sector was reached, the army did a full perimeter and area check to make sure no spies were hidden inside. It was barren. Most men took a nap, filled their canteens at the few fresh water fountains, or scowered the tower looking for preserved food. MC spent his time scanning his map while wondering what to do when he found Sayori. What would she do? What would she say? Would she try to attack him? Had she gone completely mad like Monika or Yuri? In all honesty, MC didn't know what to do. How could he? So he strengthened his mental state and prayed for the best. Hopefully he'd come up with something by the time they got there. 

Off the army went to the second sector. They were almost there before one of the chibis spotted something not too far ahead. Sayori chibis. Some were sleeping, others were actually keeping an eye out. MC wanted to sneak past them, killing one would be like killing Sayori. He knew he had no choice though, there was no where to hide and an army his size couldn't exactly sneak by. MC turned around to him army and gave the signal to brandish their weapons. They would charge in three... two... one... 

If any of Sayori's chibis were sleeping, they were awoken by a somewhat masculine battle cry. An army of brunettes was charging right at them! Some didn't have time to brandish their weapons before they were cut in half, blood and guts continuing to stain the red ground. Each cry sounded too much like Sayori, but he had no choice. He charged at a group of three that were trying to take a defensive stance. Quickly, he was able to get one of their misery through decapitation with a quick slice of his sword. He went for the second but she parried him excellently. The third attacked, stabbing him in the side with her slightly shorter blade. MC cried and thrashed wildly, severely injuring the two. Returning air into his lungs, he looked at the two he had injured. They crawled and moaned around on the ground, nearly swimming in their blood. MC bit back a cry as he got them out of their misery. They had won the battle, but not without some casualties. His army of 250 had become an army of 227. MC didn't want to look around to see the fallen bodies of friends and foes. He straightened his back, ignoring the piercing pain in his side, and ordered the army to keep marching to the sector. They could heal, regroup, and strategize there, safely. 

Some of the men were wounded, but thankfully nothing too bad. In this war, if a soldier couldn't go on, he had to be left behind or taken out of his misery. That's just the way it was. They were almost there thankfully, a few of Sayori's flags could be seen from here. MC had a somewhat decent plan on what to do when they got there. The problem was going to be infiltrating the stronghold. MC had no idea how Sayori set up her soldiers, or if she had some with her as bodyguards. The best thing they could do was hope and pray at this point. Packing up their gear, they left for the stronghold. 

The march their was surprisingly easy. They were right at the front door without a single chibi in sight. Of course, the inside was much different, and MC was already outnumbered, but as long as his men could hold off the chibis and MC could get to Sayori, everything can work itself out peacefully, right? MC crouched down and his army did the same. Knowing Sayori, her army probably wasn't well put together. If they were lucky, they wouldn't have to slaughter every single one. MC opened the giant door to the stronghold, it creaked loudly as its unattended hinges were forced to work. It was dark inside, only a few candles lit. MC was becoming more concerned for Sayori's mental health than having to slaughter miniature Sayoris. 

The brunettes snuck in, staying low to the ground, close to the wall, and hidden in the plentiful shadows. This stronghold seemed to be built strikingly similar, perhaps all of them were the same in archetype. If that was true, then Sayori was hiding up at the top. There were three sets of stairs: one on one of the walls, one in the center of stronghold, and a hidden staircase that could be hidden anywhere for emergency purposes. It would probably be wise to find the staircase on the wall, it would take longer, but less likely of getting attacked by going into the heart of the stronghold. 

With a lot of luck, and a few sneak kills to Sayori's army, they found the staircase. The army had seen several guard patrols on the way here, but they all either didn't care or had a very depressed look in their eyes. MC told his army to stay there, to stay hidden and attack only if absolutely necessary in self defense. MC scaled the stairs alone, but determined. The stairs led to Sayori's war room, staring out the window was Sayori in a chair. She looked okay. He could see her shoulders rise and fall with each breath she took, and her uniform still appeared to be in good shape. 

"Why are you here?" Sayori crooned, her voice hoarse from lack of talking and intense crying. MC nearly jumped out of his skin. He didn't think he'd be spotted that quickly. Maybe by Monika or Yuri, sure, but Sayori was suppose to be the easy one! 

"For you, of course," MC stated, coming out of hiding from the stairs. Sayori turned to look around at him, her eyes red and puffy from crying. 

"I saw you coming," she said, her sapphire eyes digging right into MC's soul. "Yet, I didn't have the energy to stop you. I don't even care anymore. This is all stupid and pointless, anyway. Just do what you want to do and leave," she turned back around to the window, her shoulders shuddering ever so slightly. 

The sight alone broke MC's heart. The war definitely wasn't helping Sayori and her depression. He took slow steps to her, before wrapping her in a hug. She tensed up, but didn't resist. He let her cry into her arms, releasing everything that's been building up. MC was just glad he didn't have to harm or fight her. She took a few minutes to herself, which wasn't a problem for MC. Her sniffles dried up, and MC smiled slightly, stroking her hair lightly. 

"Hey, why don't we get out of here?" MC asked her. Sayori just nodded her head, not asking any questions, which was probably a good thing. 

MC walked over to a crystal in the corner of the war room, his stronghold had this as well, and probably the others. From his experimentation, these crystals seemed to communicate to each other, which made MC believe that these strongholds were for himself and the girls to fight an enemy together instead of themselves in a different universe. Tapping the crystal, he mentally set the coordinates to his stronghold. 'Send wave three to Sayori's stronghold. Escort her homes safely upon arrival,' was his message. He sent the message and the crystal dulled, it would take a minimum of two hours for his men to arrive. This would make a good time to rest, restock, and most importantly, make sure Sayori would be okay on the trip to the stronghold. 

MC spent his time wisely, checking on his men, attending to the wounded, refilling supplies, and most importantly, keeping a close eye on Sayori. Though the battle of the stronghold was successful, MC's army of 227 was now a mere 103 units. (While MC was upstairs, a few of Sayori's units became panicked and attacked the strangers.) When all the survivors heads were counted, wave three came and picked up Sayori. MC watched them leave in the direction of his own stronghold. MC climbed the stairs back up to Sayori's war room and checked the map. Natsuki's stronghold was the next closest. That was their new destination. One down, three to go. 

MC and his men left half an hour later. They'd have to clear two sectors again before arriving at Natsuki's stronghold. Thankfully, they were closer this time and abandoned. MC felt on edge. This was way too easy. Natsuki had to have something, she had to! If only he had dwelled on that feeling a little bit more before arriving at the stronghold. It looked just like the others, but had a deadly secret. Right when MC and his army got close, chibi Natsukis popped out of the ground and catapults filled with rocks were being rolled out onto the roof. It was an ambush. MC fought with all he had, and continued to fight when the small blades pierced his skin and falling rocks crushed his bones. But it wasn't enough. The army fell, along with their leader. 

MC woke up gasping for air in a cold sweat. He looked around where he was. He was in his bed, in his own stronghold. Kicking the sheets off himself he ran to his barracks, he was relieved to see all his units were there. Wave one was now rejuvenated and ready for battle. He told them to meet him outside as he ran to the war room. There, Sayori stood looking out the window. She was alive, she was okay, she made it here safely. MC didn't want to disturb her as she looked deep in thought, he also didn't want to answer any questions of why or how he was back at the stronghold so quickly with all his men somehow fine, even though she saw his side of the casualties. Content knowing Sayori was safe, MC met his army outside. 

They skipped the four sectors and headed straight to the stronghold. The armor worked on their footwork, and now even had a couple dozen archers. If MC was lucky, their quick feet would keep them out of trouble while the archers took care of the catapult handlers on the roof. However, when they arrived, there was no ambush. The catapults sat on the roof unattended, the holes the soldiers hid in were open to the world. Were... were they celebrating their victory? I mean, it kind of seems like something Natsuki would do. Adding in the fact that she didn't put a single guard outside in case of a return. As surprising as this was, Lady Luck has blessed MC. Not only did he not have to worry about an ambush, but if the army truly was celebrating, then they were distracted making it easier to sneak by. 

Quietly opening the doors, which were more taken care of than the ones at Sayori's stronghold, the army entered. Loud music and screaming could be heard throughout the stronghold, as well as several smells of sweet confections mingled in the air. MC's mouth watered, its been too long since he's had something sweet to eat, but now wasn't the time. He was still on a mission. The party seemed to be in the heart of the stronghold, where it seemed everyone was, including all the guards. MC told his men to stay by the door, to stay hidden, and attack only if attacked first. Doing what he did at Sayori's stronghold, MC climbed the stairs on the wall to the war room. 

Inside the room, leaning against the wall, was Natsuki. She was reading manga, and she was so involved that she didn't hear or see MC enter the room. Despite his will, MC smiled. For some reason, this felt right. A party was going on downstairs yet Natsuki chose to stay upstairs and read manga. It just seemed like a very Natsuki thing. Thought Natsuki was currently calm and distracted, MC didn't really know what to do. How would she react? He highly doubts she'd come with him peacefully, at least with not some kind of fight. Well, time to whip out the old tricks. 

MC sits next to Natsuki to where they are nearly touching. "Watcha reading?" he asked, hoping she was too absorbed to notice anything out of the usual. 

"Parfait Girls. It's about-- wait a minute," Natsuki's nose was once buried into the manga as if she was Yuri with a horror novel, but now she was staring at MC with a confused glare. "What are you doing here!? Why are you here!?" 

"I'm here for you," is all he said, trying to keep his cool and not show any nervousness. 

"What!? W-Why!?" She stood up quickly and backed away from him, clutching the manga to her chest. 

MC stood up as well, slowly and calmly, but he did not approach her. "Because, I care about you. I don't want you getting hurt from this war. You may have not gotten attacked yet, but what if Monika or Yuri got in here? What would they do? What would you do?" He told her with seriousness in his voice, his eyes never leaving hers. He just now realized that Monika and Yuri would be extremely dangerous to face and a deadly threat to the others. He's lucky he reached Sayori and Natsuki before they got to them first. "Please, come with me. Things don't have to be this way. We can end this, together. But I need you to come with me and trust me. Please, I don't want you to get hurt." 

Natsuki looked at him wide eyed, confused, then slowly turned to the window. She gasped and ran over to the translucent pane. It's as if she's now seeing the red destruction, what has truly happened to the world. Silent tears start forming in her eyes. When did this happen? Why did this happen? Did she contribute to this? Could it one day be her blood to stain the ground? MC wrapped her into a somewhat tight hug. Living in your own little world is one thing, waking up to see what happened in the real world is a whole different thing on its own, and Natsuki had just woken up. 

"I-I... what..." Natsuki tried to say something, but all the words died in her throat. The shock was too great. How was she not aware of this? Better question, if she was unaware of all this, how did the ambush happen outside? Did the chibis command themselves? As much as a matter this could be on its own, this wasn't the time. MC had to get Natsuki safely to his stronghold before moving onto the next one. He shuddered at the thought, he really didn't want to go against Monika or Yuri alone, but he didn't really have a choice. Either curl up and die, or fight, he wasn't going to take the cowards way out. 

"Please come with me," he quietly whispered into her ear, holding her trembling body close. It took her a few seconds, but she managed to nod. "I'll be right back," he once again quietly whispered, before walking over to the crystal in the room to summon his units. 

Once Natsuki was safely one her way, MC checked the map in the war room. Yuri's was next. Well, at least they were halfway done, that was a plus. Now fully rested and restocked, MC left the stronghold while the party continued in the heart. Next, Yuri. At least he was walking in with a full, healthy army. But he had to be careful now. Monika and Yuri were both cunning and crazy, not a good combination. The sectors from now would definitely have enemies, the outside of the stronghold would be guarded, blockaded, or booby trapped, and probably a whole lot of other things MC didn't want to think about at the moment. He just had to get himself and his army ready for the sector. It was only a forty-five minute walk at most. 

The sector wasn't too far now, and even from here MC could see the purple dots vigilantly patrolling the perimeter. MC rallied his troops into a huddle and told them the plan; attack the chest, neck, and head first. If they were causing trouble, attempt to chop off their legs and/or arms. With that, MC made sure the plan was ready, then gave the signal. 

Every purple head came to attention as the battle cry screamed across the barren land. But their shocked state didn't last as long as MC wanted it to. All of the enemies brandished knives instead of a wide variety of weapons like the others. They moved quickly, but most of their cuts weren't too deep. While seeing blood and corpses was still disturbing to MC, easily the most disturbing point was that some of the chibis seemed to moan in pleasure whenever he cut them down. It made him feel sick and uneasy, but he had to keep his ground as the enemies were well coordinated. Some attacked alone while others attacked in groups, but nonetheless, all of them were quick, deadly, and blood thirsty. 

There were more of them then MC expected as he counted the bodies, about forty of them. He too had casualties as his army shrunk down to 172 units. This wasn't good. He needed to be more coordinated to bring more men to the stronghold. The only thing this sector provided was two fresh-water fountains, a few beds, and very little food. Yuri must have planned this and raided the sectors of a majority of their supplies. Using some of their own medicine, the wounded was healed before setting off to the next sector. Like the last, it only had forty units that put up a good fight. Thankfully MC had less casualties, and his army was put at 139 units. 

At the stronghold, it was indeed booby trapped. The air felt magnetic and menacing, and if you strained your ears against the howling wind, you could hear the faintest of beeps. The most likely guess was landmines, but the land gave no indication of where they were. They'd have to do this the loud way, unlike the other times. The army gather rocks, twigs, dead roots, and bones that littered the ground before throwing in at the dirt near the stronghold. Several fiery explosions went off as the mines were triggered. Some of Yuri's army heard the explosions and accidentally ran into the flames themselves. When the smoke cleared, and all the landmines were now 'diffused', the two armies fought on the now hilly and loose ground. 

Neither army was prepared for the sloped, crumbly ground they fought on. Yuri's army was less cautious and more blood thirsty, so they attacked quicker. But in return, they were easy to predict and made several mistakes, as well as slipping on the loose ground. Once their tactic was learned, they were easy to cut down. The soil down here was rich with... a lot of evil things, so the blood didn't soak in as well. When the battle was over; organs and shattered bones floated in a near actual pool of blood from lack of absorption. MC couldn't take the sight. He quickly scrambled out of the hole and vomited everything his gut held within him. He could hardly take this anymore. The war, the bloodshed, the stress, the strain, having to hunt down his friends as if they were wild animals... 

The few healthy men that remained took care of the injured or ran to help MC. The nearest sector was too far, so they had to camp a few feet away from the stronghold. At least no one came for them. MC now only had 98 units. At least the stronghold was now emptier than the previous two. After chewing on some herbs and checking up on all the remaining the men, the army barraged into the stronghold. The last of Yuri's army attacked them with all their strength, but MC stood strong. Though he now only had 66 units, they had survived. Blood tarnished the nice carpets and rugs Yuri had put in her stronghold. Yuri was the only one so far to actually decorate her base. Taking a look around, carpets weren't the only new thing Yuri had put in. 

Candles in golden candle sticks hung on the wall, crystal chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, a water fountain could be heard somewhere in one of the hallways, the stronghold was kept nice and clean, and then there were paintings. Oh God, the paintings. They were either of Yuri or MC. Half of Yuri's showed her being sophisticated and almost cute, while the others showed her Yandere side, complete with crazy eyes, painted blood in the background, knives, and scars on her arms. All of MC's portraits were painted as if he were being painted from a distance. As if he was stalked. And painted MC had no idea about it. Shudders violently wracked through MC's body. Time to get this over with. 

MC posted 33 units at the door and 33 units with him. The units with him would be posted in the middle of the stairwell until the signal or screaming was heard. With everyone set, MC climbed the stairs to Yuri's room. Pacing in the center of the room was Yuri, she was clutching a butcher knife between her hands. He wasn't sure if it was from hyper sensitive hearing, or the fact that she could smell him, but as soon as he entered Yuri looked at him hungerly. She formed a large, manic smile, craziness visible in her eyes. 

"MC! I'm so glad you finally decided to visit me! You should have told me you were coming! I would have made some tea," Yuri said, clutching the knife so tight her knuckles were white and shaking. "We can do so much now that we're together! It's been so long since I've seen you bleed... Show me, MC! Please show me your life juice!" She lunged at him, just as her army did. 

He jumped out of the way, but she still left a nasty cut near his right shoulder. She was a lot bigger in size comparison to her chibi army. He'd have to watch that advantage. With a somewhat formulated plan to stay alive, for a little while at least, what was he going to do? There's no way he could convince her to come with him. Well, he could, he could probably exchange something that she wanted, but would she attack the other girls once she arrived at his stronghold? Probably so. So much needed done with so little time. Perhaps this might work. 

The next time Yuri leapt at him, MC scooped her up into a large bear hug, careful to clutch her knife-wielding hand to her side without cutting her but also preventing her from swinging at him. "Listen, Yuri, I'll make a deal with you," she stopped flailing, her breath was heavy and ragged. 

"What kind of deal?" She purred, her semi-sharp teeth showing in her smile. MC gulped. 

"I'll give you almost anything you want from me. In exchange, you will go to my stronghold peacefully and will not attack anyone until I tell you otherwise," Yuri started at him. The seconds ticked by. For a moment, she almost looked sane as she contemplated his offer. Finally, she turned to look at him completely, a little bit less crazy in her eyes. 

"Okay, deal!" MC let her go as she straightened herself and tucked her knife away under her skirt. "I want your shirt, with some blood on it! Oh, and your belt too!" It was odd, but doable, at least. 

MC removed the top part of his uniform, which he's been using as armor this entire time, and gave it to Yuri. The jacket and under shirt had some blood on it from the cut she had given him, just like she wanted. Now being careful of any possible antics, MC undid his leather belt and gave it to Yuri, who was sniffing his blood from the articles of clothing. She giggled happily, almost like Sayori. 

"Okay, you win, I'll go with you," her eyes were no longer crazy, instead, almost loving. MC nodded and quickly scrambled off to the communication crystal, feeling very self aware of himself. 

Wave three left with Yuri, who was tightly clutching the clothes MC had given her. Using the sheets and other materials found in the stronghold, MC made a tight belt and a new shirt made out of the thick rugs. It looked absolutely ridiculous, but perhaps it would help him against Monika. He breathed in and held his breath. Monika. The most dangerous one of the bunch. Did she still have her powers? Perhaps not, or all the other girls would probably be dead by now. MC released his held breath and gathered his army. The first sector could be seen off in the distance. It was time to get moving. 

Everyone was tired, MC was no exception. He just took down three strongholds while only having about three hours total of rest. But they were so close, they could moan about the exhaustion later. They were at the doorstep of the sector now. To MC's surprise, it was abandoned. No chibi Monikas climbed the tower or guarded the perimeter. The small army walked inside, only to see a quick flash of green. An ambush hidden in sight! MC didn't have time to react, half of his men were cut down before he even had a chance to blink. Seven chibis pinned him to the ground and forced him to watch the deaths of the last of his men. MC cried, screamed, struggled, anything to do something, but they were binding his wrists and ankles with rather hefty chains. Now, no more useful than a squirming worm, fifteen chibis lifted MC over their heads and began to march. MC couldn't see where they were going, he could only see the dark, red sky. He hasn't slept in forever, and it's not like MC could do anything else in this helpless position. He shut his eyes and let sleep swiftly take him, he'd need the energy to face Monika. 

**Minor Time Skip**

MC quickly woke up when he was thrown onto the cold floor. He looked up, his eyes needing a minute to see through all the blur. When his vision cleared, he was met with all too familiar green eyes. Monika sweetly smiled down at him and ordered her own armada to leave the room. 

"Hello MC, it's so good to see you again. How was the trip?" She talked so casually, as if they were meeting for tea, and not in the middle of war. "I'm sorry for what you had to see, your men getting cut down like that. But I promise it was necessary." 

"Monika--" MC tried to start, only for Monika to bend down to his level on the floor and cover his mouth with her finger, ordering him to hush. 

"I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to get everyone together, to fix this. But don't you see? This is just the way things were meant to be. But look at the bright side! It can just be you and I now! We don't have to be crammed in such a small room anymore. We have this stronghold and the open world, along with an army to do anything we want!" 

Silent tears fell from MC's eyes. He wanted to be happy with her, he really did, but this isn't right, this way isn't right, this world isn't right. "I'm sorry Monika, but I can't accept your offer. This isn't the perfect world. Just look outside! The sky, water, and ground are all bleeding! Monika, please come with me. We can make everything right, you, me, and the others. Please..." 

Monika looked at him, then sighed. She pulled him close into a hug, his chain binds rattling against the movement. "I'm sorry, MC. But you just don't understand," she quietly whispered into his ear before he felt the tear. The thick liquid pouring into his rug shirt. She had slit his throat. He tried gasping for breath, to scream, anything. But it was hopeless as blood gurgled out into the open and into his esophagus. Monika watched him, now also silently crying. "I'm sorry," she apologized again, kissing him before everything went black. A kiss of death. 

MC woke up in a cold sweat, an incredible pain on the skin of his neck. He was back in the stronghold. He ran over to the mirror, tripping over the sheets of his bed. Stitches were formed where his throat was slit. 'Last chance,' a voice in his told him. _The Player..._

MC ran out of the stronghold, not bothering to gather an army or check on the girls. He just ran. Ran past all the sectors and strongholds that loomed above him, abandoned. (Except maybe for Natsuki's.) Eight sectors and three strongholds later, MC arrived at the final stronghold. Maybe he should have rallied his army, this was his final chance, according to The Player. What would happen if he died one more time? He didn't want to think about it, he didn't have the time to think about it. He ran up to the doors. The entrance was guarded by two chibis, each holding their own spear. They crossed their spears, denying entry. MC got onto his knees, close to their level. 

"Please, let me through. I need to talk to your leader, immediately!" They looked at each other. One was confused while the other shook their head. How the was he going to get by without violence? Hmm, let's see. What did Monika like? She liked music, but he didn't have an instrument. Well, his voice was an instrument, but that didn't mean it was a tuned one. Quite literally out of options, he pressed his luck. 

"Everyday, I imagine a future where I can be with you," the two guards perked up their heads, clearly interested, at least someone was enjoying this experience. MC sang through the rest of the song, silently cursing at himself for all the missed notes and losing tempo in a few spots. 

The confused guard looked at the one that seemed to be more dominant, it sighed, but nodded. The two removed their spears to unblock the door. The two guards led him through the stronghold. Some of the chibis were confused, others enraged, others were sad as they saw the stitches on his neck. The two guards dropped him off at the stairs before going back to their positions. MC brushed himself off before climbing the stairs. Monika was waiting for him, slightly bent forward with her arms behind her back, her signature pose. 

"You may have not liked it," she started, "but that was really pretty and sweet. You should sing more often," she blushed lightly, but now wasn't the time for that. 

"Monika, please come with me. This world isn't the heaven you claim it is to be. There's death all around all the time. Please, I'll do anything, just let me save you," MC started to cry again, the weight of all the pressure and stress was just too much. He was down on his very last leg. 

Monika walked up to him, lightly touching the stitches on his neck. MC hissed in pain and Monika took a step back. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did. I know this world is far from healthy, but... I just... I just can't take it anymore! We can start a new beginning here! We aren't bound by people, judgments, expectations, nothing! We can rebuild this world, just you and I!" Monika ran up to him and hugged him, tears falling onto his shirt. "Please, MC..." 

If his heart wasn't broken before, it was now. To see Monika so broken. He never thought of how she felt, always being popular and busy must have taken its toll. No wonder she wanted to start anew. Or live in a world where there was nothing. Because there was no boundaries. But he'd be betraying his mission, himself, the girls, The Player, everything, and everyone. 

"I'm sorry Monika, but it just isn't right," she was about to protest before he brought his hand up, this time the one shushing her, "but you and I can make the old world a better place, just the two of us. However you like. We can cut those chains together. But, you have to come with me first," MC held out his hand. Monika looked at him, then his hand, then back at him again. 

"No, no it's all too good to be true. It's--" 

"It's whatever we want it to be, Monika. So please, won't you join me?" She choked on the air caught in her lungs. All her love and trust for MC immediately bursting out of the jail cell she put it in. Slowly and shakily, she took his hand. 

"I-I trust you," she stuttered. 

MC smiled and picked her up bridal style. While it may have not been the healthiest of choices considering MC was confused about love at the moment, but it made Monika happy, and that was good enough for right now. He carried her all the way back to the stronghold and took her to the war room with the rest of the girls. He was about to say a speech, thanking them for all their trust and for making it this far, but all their chests started to flow a light gold. The world outside began to shift and distort outside. 'Thank you,' the voice in his head said, 'I can take it from here now.' 

"What's happening!?" Natsuki screamed as the ground started to shake violently. 

MC pulled all the girls close to him in a tight hug. "It doesn't matter now. We're all free now. We're saved. Thank you all." He held them all close, not wanting to let go. White flashed through the whole world, MC felt nothing as if he were floating. 'The beginning is now, the end is far, the job is done, the freedom is yours,' the voice in his head said. He woke up, not in a cold sweat, not in a stronghold with an army waiting for his command, no stitches on his neck. He looked around. He was home.

**Author's Note:**

> "Oh my goodness that took so freaking long! I'm not getting paid enough for thi--"  
> Oh, my! Please excuse our noisy bar tender! We promise she's not always like this. This was just a larger order then she originally anticipated. But we, and the bar tender, hope you enjoyed!


End file.
